© Copyright 2014, Josh Henkin A Dragon Door Publications, Inc. production production All rights under International and Pan-American Copyright conventions. Published in the United States by: Dragon Door Publications, Pub lications, Inc. 5 East County Rd B, #3 • Little Canada, MN 55117 Tel: (651) 487-2180 • Fax: (651) 487-3954 Credit card orders: 1-800-899-5111 • Email:
[email protected] [email protected] • Website: www.dragondoor.com www.dragondoor.com ISBN 10: 0-938045-56-3 ISBN 13: 978-0-938045-56-4 This edition first published in June, 2014 Printed in China No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews. Book design and cover by Derek Brigham • www. www.dbrigham.com dbrigham.com •
[email protected] Photography by Don Pitlik DISCLAIMER: The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following fol lowing the instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.
TAB ABLE LE
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CONTENTS
Foreword Introduction....................................................................................1 The DVRT Movements..............................................................29 The New Functio Functional nal FItnes FItnesss ........ ................. ................. ................. ................. ...............13 .......135 5 Upper Body DVRT Drills..........................................................143 Training with a Twist..............................................................187 Shoveling...................................................................................199 Core Training Training.................... ......................................... .......................................... ..................................203 .............203 Building Muscle.......................................................................229 DVRTT Programming ..................... DVR .......................................... .......................................... .....................243 243 Are You You Excited Excited Yet Yet .................... ......................................... .......................................... .......................269 ..269 About the Author .................... ......................................... .......................................... ...........................273 ......273
Acknowledgements Changing the way we view and perform fitness is anything but easy. It would not be possible without the people in your life to help motivate and support your ideas. My beautiful wife, Jessica, who was my inspiration and driving force to create and push to innovate and stay focused no matter the obstacles placed before us, I can’t thank you enough. To my good friend and colleague, Troy Anderson, who challenged me to keep striving to do better and to think outside the box, I thank you for your great friendship and professionalism. This book would simply not be possible without John Du Cane and Dragon Door having an open mind and a willingness to keep evolving and pushing the fitness industry to move forward.
FOREWORD Robert dos Remedios
t may sound a bit cliché, but as a strength and conditioning professional for over 24 years I have literally ‘seen it all’. I have had the opportunity to meet and observe some of the best and worst fitness and conditioning professionals in the world. I have also had the opportunity to experience just about every ‘training tool’ or piece of equipment ever made. Another phenomenon that I have witnessed quite recently is the evolution of the ‘internet trainer’. These creatures are characterized by a few common traits: lack of real-world experience, a disregard for actual practitioners in the field and their experience, a disregard for the education process, and false promises based on false experiences. In my experiences hands-on hours in the trenches working with actual clients and athletes is where you BEGIN the journey to becoming a successful trainer. I have found that the best coaches and trainers are the ones who continually seek continuing education in an attempt to hone in and sharpen their knowledge base and skills. In this process, we are able to not only find what works for us but we can also objectively analyze what and why something doesn’t work for us. With the multitude of coaches and trainers out there you would think there would be a very large percentage of them that fall in this category of ‘lifelong learners’, sadly this isn’t the case. Most trainers and coaches don’t really want to learn new things; they simply want to surround themselves with information and people that validate the things they are already doing.
In the case of tools or training equipment I have found that we very often get caught up in the latest ‘cool’ training toy and often implement these tools for the sake of using them. The biggest problem is that most of the time the tools themselves are just that…tools. There isn’t any sort of educational system behind its implementation and use in a training program; therefore it’s easy for us to treat it as a toy or gimmick that can easily be eliminated from our training. So why am I pointing these things out? Enter Josh Henkin and his Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) system. I have had the great fortune to become good friends with Josh and I cannot say enough about how much I have benefitted from his knowledge knowl edge and his Ultimate Sandbags. Josh is, for lack of a better term, a ‘renaissance man’ when it comes to training and conditioning. His background as a former Division I athlete along with his academic preparation, host of other certifications and 20 plus years of experience has afforded him a great eye when it comes to analyzing and dissecting human movement and conditioning. Josh is the perfect example of the lifelong learner I described earlier earlier.. The DVRT system he has developed is based on sound movement and mechanics and more importantly, it is grounded in sound progressions and regressions based on individuals. This is a one of a kind training system that actually focuses more on movement than the tool itself. It is often hard to grasp this concept especially when we are talking about a training tool like the Ultimate Sandbag but in Josh’s system, the tool itself almost seems secondary to the sound message that his education conveys. They truly go hand-in-hand with each other like no other training I have ever experienced. Josh is const constantly antly observing, observing, interacting, and consulting with coaches and traine trainers rs all over the world, and by doing so, he has developed one of the most sound and effective/efficient training systems I have ever seen. Josh travels the world presenting and educat educating ing fitnes fitnesss profe professiona ssionals ls and has built a very strong group of DVRT certified trainers. In fact, Josh has revolutionized the functional fitness industry in a very short period of time. His DVRT program has became a cornerstone for elite programs like the US Army Special Forces Recruiting Battalion, SWAT teams, and top fitness facilities from around the world. Coaches from over 80 countries are now using the DVRT system worldwide…and this population is growing at a record pace. Why? IT WORKS. While Josh’s Ultimate Sandbags themselves are amazing training tools, without his DVRT system and his constant stream of updated education for its implementation, it would simply be a bag full of sand thus making it a tool that could easily easil y be removed from any training program. With the combination of the tool and the education system, the
Ultimate Sandbag has become a vital piece of our training programs; I can confidently say that they will be a part of my programming for the duration of my career. I am very fortunate to have Josh Henkin as a mentor mentor,, resource, and friend. He is a selfless sel fless individual who is always ready and willing to help anyone, a master at creating amazing training methods and exercises, and he’s also one of the smartest people I know. Now you have the great fortune to be introduced to him and his training systems…. hold on, this is going to be an exciting journey!
Robert dos Remedios, MA, CSCS, MSCC Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coach / Author 2006 NSCA Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Professional of the Year CSCCa Master Strength & Conditioning Coach
INTRODUCTION
he current age of fitness is tough! It is more confusing, with more ideas, more concepts, and even better tools being thrown at everyone. In 20 years of of being in the fitness industry, I can’t think of a time when people had so many options for programs and training tools. It’s enough to make your head explode! In fact, there is so much “stuff” out there that there has been almost a rebellion against new ideas and training programs. To be honest, it is hard to blame both coaches and fitness enthusiasts for their skepticism. That makes writing a book like this one even more difficult. Outwardly, it may appear that I am trying to bring back yet another “old time” strength training tool. I understand. We need a re-introduction of another “ancient” or “old school” training implement like we need another bad remake of an ‘80’s classic movie (why did they ever redo Footloose?). However, before you make a snap judgment let me assure you of one thing, this isn’t like any training program you have experienced before. If I told you I was going to teach t each you a system for getting people to move better within a matter of minutes, would you be interested? How about if I offered you a system that allows almost infinite progressional exercises to be created so not only can you have variety, but purpose in your training? Would you be intrigued? If I told you that this is unlike anything you have done before and that the feeling is totally unique, would you be willing to hear me out? If your cynicism tells you no, I understand, Maybe you will want to flip through this book another time. I must forewarn you, looking at pictures and trying to decipher our intent without reading the “whys” will only add to your confusion. Yet, if the answer is yes, I welcome you to come on a really exciting journey with me through a system that I have seen time and time again transform how people see exercise, movement, and overall fitness. Welcome to the world of Dynamic Variable Resistance Training!
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A Fancy Word for a Sandbag? You might have just jumped on guard. You might be thinking, “Oh man, he tricked me into reading a book about ‘sandbag training’?” Let’s address the elephant in the room. This is NOT a book about “sandbag training”. Why? There are many reasons that this is not a fancy way of trying to get you to read and learn about the benefits of “sandbag training”. First, an implement can never be a system. Probably the biggest mistake of many fitness professionals today is confusing a system with a training tool. The easiest example is something we see every day at the gym. The barbell is a training tool. I can’t remember ever hearing someone say that they were going to head off to the gym to do some “barbell training”. This would seem odd by most accounts because the barbell is seen as a means to an end. Bodybuilders have used barbells for decades to help build significant amounts of muscle and impressive physiques. Powerlifters have used barbells to create high levels of force in their three competitive lifts. Weightlifters have used barbells to gain Olympic glory glory,, but their lifts are very different from what a bodybuilder or powerlifter might consider. consider. In each example, the barbell may play a prevalent role, but the method and intent of the training trai ning is VERY different. That is why when people ask if DVRT is just “sandbag training,” I say absolutely not! You may still have some questions on why this is not a book on “sandbag training.” training. ” You You might have noticed that every time I mention “sandbag training,” I use quotation marks. Simply knowing that you’re lifting a bag of sand doesn’t tell you much about the actual training process. We should be choosing methods and implements based upon their ability to deliver us specific results. Sandbags have been around for a long time, I certainly didn’t invent them. Some anthropologists believe that ancient Egyptians used sandbags for some form of physical conditioning. This may make sandbags one of the earliest tools for functional training, as the goal was probably to perform better in warfare rather than looking good for social media pictures. In all seriousness, ancient Egyptians probably used sandbags more out of convenience than any super scientific thought process. Remember, items such as metal were highly valuable and probably would not have been as accessible for such needs. How does this impact the modern fitness landscape? And more importantly, how is this STILL not a sandbag book?! One of the most damaging sayings that has become popular in fitness is, “a tool is just a tool.” You You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in biomechanics to realize that both saws saws and screwdrivers are tools. Try using the saw to screw in something and see how far you get. Tools matter! They matter a lot! For some strange reason, fitness is one of the few industries that purposefully tries to downplay our tools. 2
Absolutely, there are those that try to define their training by the tools they use. This approach is just as faulty. However, many coaches fall into the trap of applying new training tools simply for the sake of variety or novelty. Many even try to rationalize using a different training tool by using vague goals goal s of becoming “more powerful” or “stronger.” “stronger.” Isn’t this the goal of any training tool or method? The reason DVRT isn’t just about “sandbag training” is that “sandbag training” means absolutely nothing! DVRT is a system of implementing variable resistance tools to achieve specific outcomes. That may come in the form of getting you to master the squat pattern faster, teaching you how to connect your entire body in one synergistic manner, exposing you to true multi-planar training, increasing your inter and intra-muscular coordination, and so much more. That may all sound fine, but here is the even harsher truth. Sandbags stink! People often tell me that sandbags aren’t new, and they are right! The fact, however, that they have been around as long – or longer than – any other fitness tool and yet have never been a focal point of fitness training tells us one of two things. The most obvious is that using variable resistance tools doesn’t work. I don’t believe this, as we have seen too many cultures use variable resistance tools for many reasons. I think the concept would have died if it just didn’t work. The other possibility, and the one I’m advocating, is that we have lacked both the right vehicle to implement variable resistance training and a systematic means of using sandbags in strength training programs. I believe that people have tried to use the wrong tool for too many years. If you don’t have the right tool, it is hard to create the right outcome!
That Dirty, Dirty Bag Really, how important is having Really, havi ng the right tool to do the job? I don’t know; ask surgeons, carpenters, computer specialists, military personnel, heck, even most athletes! The answer is that it’s VERY important! In order to really understand the difference in tools, let’s look at two very different practical examples. In the early days of the barbell, it wasn’t the 7-foot length that we see most often today. The first barbells were probably more like 4-5 feet in length. Why does this matter? Early lifters used the barbell very differently. Instead of focusing on a very small number of exercises that focused on how much weight could be placed on the barbell, athletes used all sorts of movement patterns with the barbell. Many of these great athletes’ feats of strength would be considered incredible by today’s standards. These great lifters wanted to add a challenge to all movements to build a more broad ability to be “strong”. From lifting with one to two hands to using different angles, positions, and postures, old-time lifters performed all sorts of exercises with the smaller barbell.
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The words of one of the first proponents of weightlifting in the US, Mark Berry, reinforces the idea of building the body up with a broad scope, rather than using very specific training. Berry believed that athletes only needed to specialize after performing a more broad scope of training. In 1925, Mark Berry was a National Weightlifting Champion, and he coached the US teams in ‘32 and ‘36. He wrote in one of his legendary barbell courses, “Actual lifting should be undertaken only after long and careful preparation in the development and training of the body.” body.” When the barbell became larger and more focused on activities such as Olympic lifting, everything changed. As the length of the barbell extended, the focus shifted from movement to weight. Lifters began specializing in particular exercises rather than building a broad scope of drills. Add in the squat rack and other specialized equipment, and now the barbell’s use to seems reduced. That doesn’t stop some from romanticizing it though! “But Josh, it is just a bag of sand!” If that is what you think, then the kettlebell is just a ball with handle, stability balls are giant beach balls, barbells are long stick pieces of metal that you put weird cylinder pieces of metal upon. Dumbbells are the worst. They’re clearly a complete rip-off, given that they’re only a quarter of a barbell . Obviously I am somewhat mocking this thought process, but more importantly, I’m trying to bring to light that our focus first and foremost has to be upon what we are trying to accomplish. Secondly, these tools have intended uses that make them more or less valuable depending the goal of training. In all honesty, a homemade sandbag isn’t the same thing as the DVRT system. Not even close! This is because DVRT has a specific intent, with w ith layers of progression and a purpose to your use of the sandbag. You can’t even perform 90% of what is used in the DVRT system with that infamous duffel bag. I want you to keep asking one question as we go through the DVRT system — “Why?” Keeping asking “why,” “why,” and it will change how you train and the results you achieve. If I don’t answer the “whys” for you, then I haven’t done my job!
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Answering the First Question If we are going to ask ourselves the “why” question, then we must start with the most obvious: Why are we using variable resistance tools? Are barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, suspension units, body weight, or any of these standard fitness tools wrong? Not at all, but this is where understanding what tools can offer to your training is very important. At first glance, variable resistance tools could be classified under “odd objects.” For literally centuries, coaches and athletes used a host of odd objects for their fitness training. What is an “odd object”? Just as the name suggests, these are implements that are awkward, non-conforming, and anything but balanced. Examples of odd objects include stones, barrels, logs, and yes, sandbags. If the idea of lifting these objects causes you to cringe and get nervous, you have every right to be! Without going into a deep discussion of the technical benefits of these implements, you know one thing. They are darn hard to lift! In fact, one of the most legendary modern strongmen, Steve Justa, was asked, “What is the hardest kind of weight to lift?” He replied, “An awkward weight is the hardest.” (Dinosaur Training, Training, p. 113) Barbells, dumbbells, and even kettlebells are static and predictable weights. They are perfectly balanced and tend to move in a specific groove, repetition after repetition. The sport of kettlebell lifting is even based upon this concept. During competition, athletes will snatch, clean, and jerk kettlebells for ten minutes straight! I guarantee you aren’t aren’t going to see the same type of events with odd objects. The fact that odd objects are “hard” doesn’t really justify their use though. There has to be more benefit than just outwardly appearing “hardcore.” Fortunately, the use of odd objects goes much deeper than this superficial first appearance. Renowned strength coach Alan Hedrick explains some of the more relevant benefits to odd objects:
“...applying the concept of specificity, specificity, it makes sense that training with a fluid resistance is a more sport-specific method of training as compared to lifting exclusively with a static resistance because in most situations, athletes encounter a dynamic resistance (in the form of an opponent) as compared to the static resistance. Further, because the active fluid resistance enhances the need for stability and control, this type of training may reduce the opportunity for injury because of improved joint stability.” (NSCA Journal, Vol.25 Number 4)
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The benefits more modern coaches like Coach Hedrick have witnessed training groups such as the Air Force Academy are the same same benefits that the old strongmen strongmen got from these tools. In the legendary Brooks Kubik’s book, “Dinosaur Training,” he relays the same sentiment:
“A barbell cannot approach a heavy barrel or a heavy sandbag when it comes to developing the type of rugged power that is required in any form of physical combat or contact sport. It is too easy to control a barbell...objects that by their very nature never fall into any a ny sort of lifting groove.” (Dinosaur Training, Training, p. 112) In both the case of serious strength training and that of athletes, both these gentlemen identified the role of hitting the stabilizers of the body. What are stabilizers? These are the smaller muscles of the body that help support our joints and allow the big muscles to do their jobs. In many cases, it is the stabilizers of the body that fail far before the primary muscles are exhausted. This is the very reason we rarely see people who can press overhead a pair of kettlebells of the same weight they could on a barbell. It’s also the reason people fail to bench press a pair of dumbbells the same weight as a barbell. Why? The barbell is more stable than either implement, removing much of the instability dumbbells and kettlebells provide. It stands to reason that objects that shift, move, and do not have a consistent consistent movement pattern would work the stabilizers stabil izers to a higher degree. You You might be thinking, though, “But will this make me strong?” Great question! When we see lower weights on these odd objects than we would normally see on the barbell it leads to the question of whether or not obtaining great levels of strength is possible. Understanding how the body produces strength becomes increasingly more important. The nervous system, not just the muscles, is the primary means for increasing strength. With the nervous system we have two ways the body can improve strength. One is intramuscular coordination. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, intramuscular coordination is “the ability of the neuromuscular system to allow optimal levels of motor unit recruitment and synchronization within a muscle.” Huh? This basically means that, the more efficient your y our nervous system is at recruiting muscle fiber fiber,, the stronger you’ll be. It is estimated that untrained individuals can really only access 60% of their muscles’ capabilities, while highly trained weightlifters can reach 80% or higher higher.. Improving intramuscular coordination is very powerful, but doesn’t really relate to our use of odd objects. The other form of neural coordination is intermuscular coordination. With intermuscular coordination,, we teach the muscles how to more efficiently work together to produce force coordination and movement. Think of intermuscular coordination as riding a bike. At first we can often be shaky when we get on a bike. But over time, we smooth out our riding as our muscles learn how to work together more effectively and efficiently. The same process happens during exercise, and is why most programs will work, but for a limited period of time. 6
Intermuscular coordination is very relevant to the lifting of odd objects. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and even bodyweight exercises tend to develop a specific “groove” as the body learns how to perform the exercise better and better better.. The way we then must challenge our body is often by adding more of a stimulus such such as more weight or more repetitions. However, odd objects offer a very different approach. By their very nature, odd objects never repeat the same exact movement. In the 1990’s, coaches were starting to pick up on the idea of improving stabilizer strength as a primary means of improving both performance and health. While there had been a large move toward free weights, many coaches who were promoting the new idea of “functional fitness” weren’t satisfied with using free weights in the style of bodybuilding, powerlifting, or even weightlifting. They believed these other iron sports had a poor carryover to everyday activities and sports. In order to address the idea of more “functional” forms of training, they used unstable surfaces r to improve stabilizer strength as well as intermuscular coordination. Unfortunately, science would later show that unstable surface training did very little to improve strength and in fact did not activate areas of the body such as the “core” any more than standing on more stable surfaces. A 2009 study by Willardson, et al in the Journal of Applied Physiology, stated definitively, “Therefore, fitness trainers should be advised that each of the aforementioned lifts can be performed while standing on the stable ground without losing the potential core muscle training.” The inability of these surfaces to produce better gains in many of the body’s stabilizers may be attributed to the fact that the surfaces were TOO unstable. Like other training variables, instability may need to be more progressive in nature. In a 2006 National Strength & Conditioning paper reviewing various forms of instability, David Behm and Kenneth Anderson discussed why too much instability can be counterproductive for strength and performance gains:
“....found force deficits of approximately 60% when performing an isometric chest press action with an un- stable base (Swiss ball). On the one hand, these deficits might promote the essential point of instability training: that because forces have been demonstrated to be lower with unstable conditions, training in that environment is of utmost necessity to ensure action-specific strength adaptations.” That doesn’t mean that we need to turn all exercises into stablity-based training. Beginning in the 60s, and increasing through the 70s and and 80s, machines became very popular in fitness training. Although they were initially believed bel ieved to be better and safer than free weights, we found that machines were the exact opposite! Because machines offered so much stability and a predetermined movement moveme nt pattern, we began to see our bodies bodie s become 7
dumber! They no longer had to stabilize the joints and coordinate the entire body as much. The specialized pattern that was determined by the machine caused all sorts of overuse injuries. Internationally recognized corrective exercise expert, Paul Chek, calls this issue “pattern overload.” Why can pattern overload lead to injuries and plateaus in your training? Chek explains pattern overload as:
“...injury to soft tissues resulting from repetitive motion in one pattern of movement, or restricted movement in one or more planes of motion. Although pattern patte rn overl overload oad is much more comm common on in an envir environme onment nt such as mach machine ine training, which restricts freedom of motion, I’ve also treated numerous cases of pattern patte rn overload overload in worker workerss and athletes athletes who who were unrest unrestricte ricted d in their traini training ng movements.” The issue of pattern overload makes free weights a far better alternative to machines. However,, the natural evolutionary However evoluti onary trajectory of free weights leads to odd objects. We begin to see that odd object training is not about being hardcore or underground. It is instead a very important means for preventing injuries and improving the health of your body.
Before You Go to the Junk Yard... There may seem to be no end to the benefits of odd objects. They can hit more muscles than any other form of training. Odd objects teach our bodies to work more efficiently. They burn more calories. They are just brutally effective! e ffective! However, However, before you go out scavenging for a wide array of odd objects, there are some issues to consider. When I began to use odd objects, I fell in love. I was using them to help rehabilitate a low back injury that ended my collegiate athletic career. Focusing on the benefits mentioned above, I was both inspired i nspired and intrigued to see for myself the results of odd objects. I used everything from tires, kegs, stones, and yes, homemade sandbags. For a period of time, I saw the results that I had read so much about. However, just as quickly as I experienced these benefits, I hit a plateau. It dawned on me, “If everyone knows the power of odd objects, how come they they never became the foundation of strength training?” It would make sense that with all these positives, the use of odd objects would be commonplace. As I began to ask myself these questions of “why,” I started to understand why my results had plateaued.
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One of the biggest epiphanies for me was my discovery that what made odd objects great was also what made them a problem. The fact that odd objects were so unstable, so hard to manage, made it difficult diffi cult to both introduce odd object to people as well as to make proper progressions. Part of my inability to create progressions and programs was based around two dilemmas. The first was the fact that I treated odd objects like barbells. I created my exercises to replicate barbell lifts and programmed them in i n the same manner. manner. Odd objects obviously do not behave like barbells. This means going up by small increments is almost impossible. Treating odd objects like barbells also meant that the programming was all wrong. The exercises were far more fatiguing and stressful, but I didn’t di dn’t adjust training variables such as sets and repetitions accordingly. Not appreciating these differences created overtraining and injury. Trying to use odd objects to introduce people to specific barbell type lifts was also a problem. Since odd objects were so difficult to lift, most people weren’t provided the opportunity to learn the movement within the exercise because they were so overstressed by working with a “non-cooperative” implement. I quickly realized the instability made using odd objects almost impossible for most general fitness clients. Between the immense amount of stress that odd objects provided to the body and the huge challenge of coordinating the movements, I found myself relegating odd objects to specialized phases in training for a limited time. That is till it dawned on me! What if odd objects were not programmed and implemented just like our more common strength training tools? What if odd objects had to be treated differently? What if we had to program more because there were more variables to consider? Quickly, I began my hunt! I went on to read as many current and old-time strength training books as possible. I found myself quickly becoming disappointed time and time again. While I would find mentions of odd objects, finding more than ten pages was an extreme rarity. This told me that most coaches and athletes had probably run into the problems I experienced. Seeing the consistent theme of a belief of odd objects, but a decision to never make them foundational made me reconsider the whole genre. Eventually I began to understand the fault in odd objects existed in two primary issues. We needed to make odd object training far more progressive. This meant that odd objects had to have the capability of being stable or unstable. In order to have people learn and become introduced to this form of training, odd objects couldn’t be brutal all the time! How do we create this when many of the implements themselves prohibit stability?
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The second issue proved to be a larger challenge. The tools themselves had to be changed. Change odd objects though? Isn’t that sacrilegious? When we look at the evolution that the barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, and even suspension units have gone through to match the current training mindset, it made sense that odd objects might have to go through the same process. We had to make our tools work for us and not fall victim to their limitations.
Enter the USB Trying to change things that have been around for centuries seems like a recipe for disaster. Who am I to change how things have been done forever? My goal was simple, I believed in odd object training, but knew unless I could make it more progressive, more accessible accessible to myself and my clients, they would end up sitting in the corner as they had for centuries. Where do you even begin? I decided that I would have to focus on one odd object — the one that I believed to have the greatest potential to change how fitness was performed. This odd object that could offer the most diversity and benefits. It would be the sandbag that grabbed my vision. Why the sandbag? Even with my homemade duffel bag, sandbags seemed to offer more versatility than any other odd object. They were unlike any other training tool I had trained with in the past and, I thought, with a little engineering and forethought, I could solve some of the limitations of the sandbag.
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Problems? What were problems with homemade sandbags? After all, they have been used so long by some of the strongest athletes in the world. Why change? I realized that the sandbag was more than just an unstable training tool. When I examined why I had problems having my clients progress with my duffel bags, I realized that I was only focused upon two variables, yet, there were far more that had to be considered. First and foremost I focused upon the weight of the sandbag. Isn’t that how we gauge anything we do in the world of strength training? I obviously assumed that between the weight and unstable nature of the sandbag, my clients just had to get stronger and more used to the movement of the sandbag. The truth is that I had not considered the impact of two very important training variables that would become foundational principles in my new system. One day I was making a new sandbag for my clients’ training when it hit me! When I looked at the sandbags I had lined up (at this point I had made quite a few), there was something so obvious I was almost embarrassed by the fact I hadn’t seen it earlier. They were all VERY different sizes. Since I didn’t bother making sandbags in five pound increments, there was at least a 10 pound jump in weight in most of my sandbags. This caused them to appear significantly different. It hit me! Sandbags weren’t just difficult because of their weight or shifting internal load, but also because the change in their dimensions changed stability and perceived load. In order to test my theory, I began to fill some bags not with sand, but other filling materials such as dry rice. Using other fillers gave me the dimension without as much weight. This began to completely change how we trained with the sandbags. Now I had the option of not only changing just the weight, but also the dimensions of the sandbag. This made sandbags more stable. In the past I had neglected this important aspect of sandbags because I wasn’t able to control the dimension of a homemade sandbag, Lighter ones would actually shift and move more than heavier sandbags. This is a big reason that lighter sandbags seemed almost as difficult as heavier sandbags. The idea of changing dimensions is not anything we see in most other strength training tools. The barbell does not change its dimensions at all. This means it moves in the same path, in the same manner, no matter what the load. This static variable makes it easier to progress to heavier weights. Kettlebell athletes, however, recognize the role of dimension and deliberately control it. In kettlebell sports, all of the weights are exactly exactl y the same dimension. The purpose of keeping all the kettlebells the same size is that they are able to groove such a specific technique that doesn’t have to change no matter the weight. Since kettlebell sport is based around strength-endurance, it makes sense to make yourself as efficient as possible.
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